The Garbage Dresser.

While I was in the midst of redoing a dining set I got at a local thrift store, I  happened across a dresser out by the dumpster in my building's parking lot. 

Now, I'm not in the habit of rummaging through dumpsters, usually but this dresser was actually sitting off to the side looking just so forlorn that I had to check it out.

To my surprise (or not so much, people are strange with what they throw out really) this dresser although ugly was in excellent shape.

There were a few chips in the veneer but the legs, hard ware and drawer slides were all intact.

So, says to myself I says "Self...NOW what are ya gonna do with it?"

Step one: PRIMER!!!!

Then came the debate: What colour to paint it? Well it had a sort of military feel for me. The Drawer Pulls looked like Epaulettes.

So I thought grey and green were fitting....turned out fairly well if I do say so myself....

The Tale of the forever dining room set.

I found a dining set in the Salvation Army Thrift store.....I HAD to have it.

All of you thrifters out there know this feeling. When you see a beautiful thing and its sooooo frikin cheap but you know you don't have any room for it....joy/panic.

I tried to talk myself out of this Dining room set for two whole hours. No kidding.
"I don't need it, I just got a new set from Chris and Amy.
I don't have space for it.
Somebody who has nothing (unlike me) will get great use out of it."

It didn't work, Internet. It just didn't work.

I had a dilemma.
It was not financially possible for me to get this set but the idea of anybody else having it was intolerable.
So, what do you do hotshot. What. Do. You. Do?

Well, if you're me you call your Dad-o.
I'm not ashamed to say I asked my Dad to go pay for this set for me....ok, well a LITTLE ashamed. But not enough to not do it. Obviously.

Bottom line: I got my dining set!
Now my problem....where to store it while I made it over....I mean really. I have a two bedroom apartment that ALREADY had a dining set in it.

So I did what any rational woman would do....I asked my brother to store it in his garage.

And we were off!
The set has beautiful lines. Ugly colour....but beautiful lines.

So I thought to myself...."self, what can we do to highlight the lines of this set? Cause it's a shame they get overwhelmed by the dark colour.

Then it hit me.

White.

I think it worked out quite well, don't you?

Now keep in  mind, Internet. I work full time. This process took several painstaking months. So I just want to take a moment to thank my every patient brother and his amazingly tolerant wife. They kept this set in good repair and safe for me even though it took up a good part of their new garage and I'm sure they would have liked to set the danged thing on fire. 

Also, a great shout out to the fantastic paint department at Lowe's. Their advice was invaluable.

Now for fabric....I've got a pattern in mind....I just need to find it.

Paint obsession.

ok, so I've discovered that there are fantastic paint people at Lowe's.
They also have paint that will stick to just about any darned thing I would like it to.
I forsee this being a bit of an issue.

Maybe not.

Hello and Welcome!

I've started this blog to save my poor facebook friends and twitter followers from the incessant drone of my obsession for furniture.

I call myself the Painted Lady because I love to make ugly furniture beautiful by painting it and the name tickled my fancy.

This is my first project.

This is a 1920's era William and Mary style (as far as I can tell) dining set.

I loved the lines. I couldn't leave it in the store, I had to have it.

So far the plan is to paint it antique white and recover the seats in teal toile.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.